Surprise keeps Saints at home

Expecting to play semi on road, plans change when Texas A&M ousted

Updated 10:15 pm, Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Siena's Brett Bisping, right, shoots for three points as Canisius' Zach Lewis, left, and Jordan Heath defend in the second-round of the MAAC Tournament on Saturday, March 8, 2014, at MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union) less

Siena's Brett Bisping, right, shoots for three points as Canisius' Zach Lewis, left, and Jordan Heath defend in the second-round of the MAAC Tournament on Saturday, March 8, 2014, at MassMutual Center in ... more

When Siena men's basketball coach Jimmy Patsos left Times Union Center on Monday night, he was fairly certain he would be boarding a flight to Texas on Tuesday.

"I was pretty much told, 'You're going to be on the road, going to Texas A&M,'" Patsos said.

Instead, the Saints are getting ready for another home game in the College Basketball Invitational. They'll host Illinois State of the Missouri Valley Conference in a semifinal on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Times Union Center.

The best-laid plans of the CBI changed when Illinois State knocked off Texas A&M 62-55 in a quarterfinal, a couple of hours after Siena ended Penn State's season with a 54-52 victory.

That meant a third straight home game for Siena (17-17) in the CBI.

"I'm just happy we're playing at home," Patsos said. "They've been loud crowds."

Meanwhile, Illinois State (18-15) flew charter into Albany and landed at about 6 p.m. before heading to practice at Times Union Center.

The Redbirds, like Siena, have no scholarship seniors on their roster and see the tournament as an education.

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CBI semifinal game

Siena (17-17) vs. Illinois State (18-15)

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Times Union Center, Albany

Radio: 1300 AM

"There's no question it's been productive since we've won," Illinois State coach Dan Muller said. "If we would have lost, it would have been a different story. The experience, the wins, confidence, it's great for our guys."

The Redbirds had one day to prepare, including travel, after eliminating the Aggies of the Big 12.

"We're all in the same boat," Muller said. "One-day prep, you have that in tournaments, whether it's Thanksgiving or whatever. It makes it difficult on the coaches to get caught up and lose some sleep, but that's OK."

Siena sophomore forward Brett Bisping grew up in Peoria, Ill., only about a half-hour from the Illinois State campus in Normal. He said he wasn't recruited by the Redbirds.

After Bisping learned he'd be playing against Illinois State, he called a friend who's a student there for information about the team.

"They've got some players, obviously, so it's going to be a tough game," Bisping said. "They play in the Missouri Valley, too, and that's a tough league."

Illinois State is led in scoring by junior guard Daishon Knight, a 6-foot-1 junior college transfer who averages 13.3 points a game. However, the Redbirds won't have sophomore guard Zach Lofton, the team's second-leading scorer at 11.3 ppg, who is serving the third game of a suspension and didn't make the trip.

The Redbirds have beaten Morehead State and Texas A&M without him.

"We've been pretty darned good defensively, as we have been most of the year," Muller said.

Illinois State has also benefitted from the return of 6-foot-9, 258-pound junior forward John Jones from a broken bone in his foot. He had 12 points against Texas A&M, and along with 6-10, 253-pound freshman center Reggie Lynch, gives the Redbirds an inside presence.

Illinois State is 3-10 on the road this season, while Siena is 12-4 at home.

Patsos said freshman point guard Marquis Wright will play on Wednesday after injuring his ribs and nose in the win over Penn State, a physical contest. Junior guard Rob Poole said he's fighting through a painful knee.

"We're still lucky we're playing, so it's good," Poole said.

The winner of Wednesday's semifinal will meet either Fresno State or Old Dominion in the best-of-three championship series that starts next Monday.